


Here Lies a Promise

by lucen24



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Broken Promises, Confessions, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Crushes, Cute, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fanfiction, First Meetings, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, POV First Person, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22708207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucen24/pseuds/lucen24
Summary: Here lies a promise of two superheroes; to never reveal their true identities to each other.Here lies a promise of two students; to never reveal their own personal feelings towards each other.Marinette has a burden of promises edging between stability and instability but when she slips on a mask, she is only left with one responsibility - to keep Paris away from chaos... as long as her true identity as a teenage girl can stay hidden.If you could break one significant promise in your life, would you?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

The boy in the black leather suit didn't stop following me, blabbering away about some nonsense which I couldn't care much about. His cat ears perked up at the top of his head and his eyes squinting upwards conveying his excitement. I, for one, didn't want him to be near me and would have much preferred to get away from him as soon as possible, however, the boy-ish grin he shot at me when I glanced at him every couple of minutes barely prevented me from shoving him away and running before he could regain a stable stance. I stopped in my search to lose him because I knew that unless I told him, he wouldn't understand he wasn't wanted there at the time. 

"You can't just follow me around everywhere, you know." I groaned, hoping he would just say his final farewells before purring away.

"M'lady, of course, I need to follow you around! Who would protect you during your time of need?" he chuckles while grinningly flexing his arms. 

The fourth beep rings into my ear, causing me to realise I only had a brief period of time before I transform back into my usual self. I hastily grab the boy in the catsuit by the shoulders, gripping as tightly as I can until he recognises that I'm trying to get his attention. His eyes widened, arms relaxed by his sides as he stood up with straight posture, exuding with confidence and security. 

"What?" he asked calmly while taking a deep breath to regain his composure from the unserious essence of his talking earlier. 

"Look, you can't follow me and risk discovering my identity for a number of reasons."

The boy tilted his head and his eyebrows creased in slight confusion. He parts his lips as if to speak but then retracts it almost immediately. I hesitated momentarily but continued to address my previous sentence. 

"If this supposed "bad guy" is actually against us then if he finds out who we really are, there is a possibility he would try and exploit us as our civilian and less powerful form," I said as earnestly as I could, "and I don't want our personal lives to join with this new job I have. Please promise me."

The boy leaned back on to the brick wall behind him, seeming to try and understand what I had just said before crossing his arms. He shifted his eyes back at me to regain eye contact before speaking again.

"...Okay. Whatever you wish, princess but that doesn't mean I am going to want to stop knowing who you are," he solemnly states, "I should go now." 

He pushed himself off the wall with the foot that had been resting against it along with his back and turned around, one hand in the air signalling his lazy goodbye. I wanted to say something in return but my mind struggled to find something appropriate to say, leading to uncontrollable stuttering. 

"Wait..!" I called out while scratching at my skin realising it had been dry and needed to be moisturised. 

The boy with the blonde hair and catsuit turned around on his toes, beaming that I had wanted to talk to him more.

"What do you call yourself, kitty cat?" I stuttered, not knowing whether he would laugh at me being so unsure after sounding so bold prior. 

"Haha, you want to know, m'lady? Let's see... I'll call myself "Chat Noir"! Sounds pretty cool right," he snickered, his voice leading me on, "and what's yours, purr-incess?" 

"Ladybug, just Ladybug."

"Well, "just Ladybug", I'm looking forward to working with you..." Chat said before turning and disappearing into the further darkness of the alleyway we were just conversing in. 

"Me too.." I murmured to myself before running away behind a secluded building, covered in graffiti, to transform without being seen.

That day, we made a promise to each other to never tell anyone our identity.

That day, I made the mistake to fall for this blonde boy in a catsuit and his charming smile.


	2. 01

The small fragments of light, shimmering against the reflection of the wood-framed windows, seemingly whispered to me that day. The faint glow snaking and slithering through every nook and cranny of France, revealing the peaking sun of dawn. I gently rested my head in my hands, shifting myself into a more comfortable position in my seat. The classroom was colder than it usually was even with the fact that I was at school two hours before any student would be at school. Almost as if the atmosphere was rejecting me. 

I was fatigued and aching all over, each movement sending pain through each of my nerves. My mind had been continuously forcing me to relive the trauma which brought me this suffering. The mental and physical sore taking its toll on my sleep throughout the week. Each night, gambling with myself on whether I would be visited by relentless nightmares or restless thoughts.

At that moment, a ping resonated from my phone.

'hey marinette! I know it's early but when u see this, can u go through my latest post on the ladyblog? I need my perfect partner 2 check it out for me, ya know?'

With each letter, I could hear Alya's melodic voice nagging me. Her voice curling on each word, convincing anyone to do as she commanded, like a fox weaving through trees and closing in on its prey.

'Yeah, I'll check it out now'

Alya began typing but then stopped for a brief moment before continuing to type her message.

'i didnt expect u to reply so quickly... y r u up?'

I paused.

'I wasn't able to sleep (٥↼_↼) so I came to school early'

'whaat??? it's 6:30!! idk whether u know but school starts at 8'

I put down my phone, rested it on the desk in front of me and took in my surroundings. The classroom was in the midst of calm, the only serenity I had experienced for a while. The dull light from earlier now shone through the window in a motion which felt like fantasy. I was hurting but that didn't suppress my desire to seek out more of these types of moments. My eyes grew deary from watching the shadows of nearby trees back and forth movement, a mystical trance making me realise the fantasy world I lived in compared to others. Making me realised that I wasn't the only one living in this world more mythical than it seems.

***

Chat held his gaze on me, eyes pleading both surrender and bloody warfare. He brought out his claws, attempting to pry his way out of the headlock he was caught in. 

"You're absolutely hilarious, Chat Noir," the man deeply chuckled, his eyes directing his attention from the golden weaved boy to me, "and Ladybug, if you do ever plan to defeat me then do so quickly, I'm really getting bored here."

I marvelled at the sheer strength of the purple suit he wore, able to withstand the claws of Chat Noir and yet, clearly allowing him to move around and defend himself from each of my blows to his body. His physique was slim but he stood what seemed to be metres above me and his shoulders so broad, they could almost cover me from rain if necessary. The mask he wore was sleek and sophisticated. Small, individual crystals highlighted his well-defined cheekbones and somehow, the lifeless grey eyes he seemed to wear at each encounter sparkled in this rare occasion in which he dressed up in his public reveals. 

"You really are a drama queen, Mothman," Chat remarked, an inappropriate smirk crawling across his face at that moment.

"It's 'Hawkmoth'..." Hawkmoth replied, rolling his eyes and abruptly snapping Chat Noir's wrist. 

Chat's body writhed in agony while desperately screaming to submit himself towards the will of Hawkmoth. He released his grip on Chat's hand though tears continued to stream down his face. I leapt out at Chat, my hand grabbing on to Hawkmoth's shoulder and leaning towards punching him square across the face but instead I froze under the tip of his finger. I tilted my head to meet his glaring eyes, staring directly back into mine. His finger flicked my exposed forehead pushing me back three or four metres away from himself and my partner, making me lose my balance. With all of my strength, I strained my legs into standing up and gradually inching myself towards Chat Noir. He was still heavily whimpering with every single movement Hawkmoth made- as well as occasional long weeping to distract himself.

"Let...hi-him g-go....please..." was all I could muster as I was too affected from my own emotional trauma and my only motivation being to save my partner- Chat Noir. His eyes dulled slightly, the life inhabiting his body gradually disappearing.

"It seems I've tormented both of you enough," Hawkmoth chuckled under his breath, "let's see if you can still be a 'hero' after this..."

As the second last beep of my miraculous rang in my ears, the arms holding Chat Noir in a choke lock swiftly released its grasp on his neck, leaving Chat's body limp on the ground. I gripped the ladybug themed print of the mirror, now shattered, and threw my lucky charm as high as my strength could muster. 

"M-miracu..lous lad..y..bug..." I managed to cough from my lungs. 

The colours of the world blurred around me, each tone merging in and out of itself. I could feel my body restoring itself due to the lucky charm but I could care much less about the state I was left in. I stood up, feeling refreshed by the lack of pain brought by restoring the damage of my surroundings but also the damage caused to my body. I rushed over to Chat, tears edging towards falling down my face.

"Chat...?! Come on.... say something.... anything?" I frantically stammered. 

There was a foreboding silence. 

No response. 

I could feel my heart drop and my stomach churned on itself. My partner lay slack on the cement, the Eiffel Tower towering above us. I slid my hand under his back, gently picking him up and jumping away to a secluded backway behind my parent's bakery. I could feel his delicate body hit the floor as I place him against the wall. He groaned at the motion of his head falling forward. His pale green eyes found mine as a smug expression steadily crawling across his face.

"Missed me, Princess?"

One of his eyebrows lifted, suggesting at his comment.

"You're healed, your body will be sore but there isn't any physical damage anymore."

"Okay... that's not denying anything..." Chat weakly teased, acknowledging his condition but choosing to ignore it.

Chat rested across from me, examining the areas newly healed by my miraculous and gaping at his recovery. He shifted his gaze and unsteadily placed his hand on my cheek.

"No need to cry, m'lady... I'm fine," Chat soothed and wiping a loose tear from my cheek. 

My heart abruptly became heavier and my eyes softened at the view of him in his relatively healthy form. He smiled at me, radiating warmth from his eyes behind the messy fringe of his golden hair. 

"I have to go, kitty. We are both going to change back soon and you know the rule..." 

I stood up as quickly as I could, trying to rid myself of any emotional bond I had created with him at that moment. As I began to take my leave, Chat suddenly grabbed my hand.

"You know, I still love you.." Chat mumbled, tightening his grip on my wrist.

"...I know..."

Chat loosened his hold as I moved out of the alleyway, leaving him alone in the dark. 

"I guess I'll see you around then...partner..."

Another tear ran down my left cheek and this time, I let such emotion reign my mind. 

'I can't feel any way towards him,' I thought, balling my fingers into a fist and letting my head drop towards the floor. 

I shook my head, removing all conflicting thoughts from my consciousness. I shouldn't be thinking about my personal love life. Marinette or Ladybug, none of that mattered at that moment. Chat Noir was alive. And my forbidden love for him was alive too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! I'm really sorry this wasn't able to come out as fast as it should have been but I've been editing this forever and I just didn't ever press the publish button ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Anyways, I don't have a set plan for the next chapter but if people want me to keep writing this then I'll try to get out another one (or maybe I'll just wanna write another one for the sake of my own MLB fantasies lol)
> 
> Okay, byeeeee! 
> 
> word count: 1446


	3. 02

A felt the tap of a warm finger lightly caress my hand, gently grazing the top of my skin. I felt dreary and didn't want to open my eyes to the glaring burn of the morning sun.

"...what..?" I groaned whilst turning my head to face the person disturbing me.

Adrien took away his hand, lips curling into a soft grin. He chuckled slightly, bringing his hand up to his lips and his eyes turning into his well-known eye smile. I immediately sat up straight watching the blonde boy standing before me, laughing at my sudden arise.

"Good morning Marinette!" He said, bringing his voice from the low chuckle to cheery.

I flushed red and I could tell he noticed. My cheeks and forehead instantly started to warm and I could already feel my hands shaking slightly. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing ended up coming out. Adrien looked at me, eyes filled to the brim with curiosity but instead, he shook his head.

"Uh, well anyways- I was just surprised to see you in class so early," he hesitated, glancing around the room, "You don't usually show up to class until just before the bell rings."

I was hit with an instant thought of running away but instead, I continued to assess Adrien's beautiful features, drowning in the pure emerald-green of his eyes.

"Well, I-I just couldn't go back to sleep," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck and giving him a nervous smile, "What about you? What are you doing here so early?"

Adrien's nose tinted rose as his eyes curved into his signature eye smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah...well, I couldn't really sleep either," he softly chirped, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

I was taken aback by his sudden change of personality though, the thought hit me that mornings were never on one's side.

"Nightmares..." I breathily mumbled, noticing Adrien had said the same thing as well, my cheeks immediately warmed.

He chuckled once again, flashing a smile with small dimples creasing inwards towards his cheeks. I tried to suppress my desire to laugh with him but, failing miserably, I found myself giggling alongside him. Boy...was his smile to die for.

Adrien looked towards me again, warmth still radiating from his figure, "There it is... I haven't seen it in a long time," he paused, "Your dazzling smile."

I couldn't look him in the eyes. His beautiful emerald eyes. The eyes dragging my soul towards his. He pat me lightly on the head, chuckling to himself.

"Gosh, you're so cute sometimes," he purred, "I'm glad I have a best friend like you."

I moved my head to meet his gaze once again, my cheeks not as heated as they were before. He signalled a wave with his hand as his cheeks lifted into his usual smile before strutting away. Chat's signature grin was imprinted into my vision for a second before fading away and leaving only the sight of a creaking door making its final movements until closure. I sighed as I rested my head in between my arms as they lay on the tabletop, wondering what I was going to do about my hopeless feelings.

***

"Okay boys and girls, before I dismiss you from class today, I wanted to discuss the new learning opportunity," Madame Bustier chirped while brushing a loose strand of her auburn hair behind her ear.

I heard a snicker from beside me as Alya brought up her fingers to her mouth, smirking and giggling in between breaths. I turned to her, raising an eyebrow and mimicking her girlish laughter and making myself giggle alongside her in the process.

"We all know this is another assessment task," Alya whispered, leaning over so it's easier for us to talk, "I don't see why she has to call it a 'learning opportunity'."

I let out a few breathy snickers and turned to listen to what Madame Bustier wanted us to do.

"It's a geography activity, I'll assign you a city in France and you will present a 15-minute presentation on what other countries think of that city," Madame Bustier continued whilst flicking through the stack of papers she grasped in her hands.

"Now, since we only have 5 minutes left, I will now assign partners- just to clarify, no, you cannot choose and yes, I have already paired you."

And with that statement, the whole classroom burst into unintelligible whispers. I sighed, pulling out my phone and opening up my Instagram and scrolling through my neverending feed of Adrien's modelling photos. A light knock came from the front of my desk, distracting me from my admiration of Adrien's flawless features.

"Hi Mari! Everyone's kinda-"

"...M-Mari? Uh, is that my name?" I asked, pointing to myself and completely interrupting him mid-sentence. He scratched the back of his neck, clearly waiting for me to stop rambling and being a nervous wreck. My lips curved into a forced nervous smile as I gestured my hand for him to continue what he was saying, mumbling whispered apologies towards him.

"Everyone is kind of freaked out at the moment aren't they?" he said, chuckling at everyone around him.

I glanced around the rows of seat opposite mine while everyone panics and Madame Bustier tries to quieten down the class. I nodded my head to avoid stumbling on my words and he responds with a wide grin before turning around and glancing at Madame Bustier once again. Twirling the ends of my raven hair pigtails, I sighed and returned my gaze to the lifeless blackboard in front of the classroom.

"Marinette... you'll be with

Juleka."

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I misread the lines- Marinette, you're with Adrien!"

Mixed feelings hit me like a truck, harder than any real truck has ever done so. Before I could gather up my words to speak to... anyone, Adrien stood from his chair and began to leave the classroom. I began to try and follow him, desperate to form some kind of plan rather than sacrifice my grades ogling at him but he turned around to face me before he raised his hand for the doorknob. 

"I guess I'll see you around then...partner..." he chirped, smiling softly at me before creaking open the heavy door and disappearing from Marinette's ever going grasp... disappearing exactly like he always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy! I'm back and I'm going to keep updating more since holidays have started and everything is cancelled due to COVID-19 eg. MORE FREE TIMEEEE!! This chapter was a bit shorter than the others and that's because if I continued it then it would be just dragging on and on and I didn't wanna start a brand new scene/event cause it would be awkward here. FYI, I have the whole story planned out and I just need to write it ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚
> 
> Anyways, see ya next update~!
> 
> w/c: 1149

**Author's Note:**

> Hi~!   
> I'm the author of this love square fanfic and this is the first fanfiction I'll be continuously publishing!   
> I'm really sorry if the updates seem inconsistent in the beginning but I'm trying to produce the best quality writing I can think of so thanks for your patience!  
> \- The Author


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